Newbie question - driver commands and spotting wagons in EK3

[RFAX]

As an excercise to explore driver commands and learn what I can/can't make them do, I thought I would try automating the Jeff Coal session in EK3. I didn't get far. I can get to Jeff Yard, then uncouple so that I have the string of 14 hoppers to take to Kentucky Prince. But once I get to KP, how can I automate stopping in the correct place so that I can leave seven hoppers at each bin? Is there a way to navigate a particular wagon to a trackmark or industry rather than an entire train?

 

[fdugger]

You might try Driving to a Trackmark on one of the sidings at KP. Use the uncouple from command to uncouple at the seventh car. Drive to a trackmark on the main line. Drive back to a track mark on the second siding and uncouple the engines. Then drive back to the trackmark on the mainline and then back to Jeff.

Fred

 

[danny5]

Rfax just remember that most industries need you to drive a car(s) over them in order for them to load/unload stopping about every three cars.

 

[RFAX]

@Danny5 - I'm thinking about using ProtoLARS for my layout and that is why I'm focusing on this. My hometown shortline would always set wagons at industries, not wait for them to be loaded/unloaded. Some of the industries on that line were on passing sidings, others on spurs - both trailing and facing. (At the factory where I worked about 30 years ago, they would fly the freight car onto the facing spur when delivering it - something I'm pretty sure I can't do in Trainz AI.)

@Fred - I originally did that but it didn't result in spotting the cars in the 'right place' in respect to the industry.

 

[MountE]

Try some trial and error to find where you need to stop to spot for each siding. Then put a trackmark there. It probably won't be at the industry itself.


Rob

 

[danny5]

You should be able to have AI drive to the industry uncouple from car(s) then pull away and car should load/unload

 

[RFAX]

I understand that there are things I can do to 'make it work' if I edit the route or otherwise jump through hoops, but my original question of "Is there a way to navigate a particular wagon to a trackmark or industry?" still stands. If not, I can live with that (for now) - just wanted to make sure I'm not missing something.

 

[danny5]

No not without a locomotive

 

[Dermmy]

I understand that there are things I can do to 'make it work' if I edit the route or otherwise jump through hoops, but my original question of "Is there a way to navigate a particular wagon to a trackmark or industry?" still stands. If not, I can live with that (for now) - just wanted to make sure I'm not missing something.

Depends on the industry.

If the industry is of the traditional drive-over-at-low-speed-while-it-fills type, then there is absolutely no problem with using the AI: "Navigate To > Load" will work every time.

If however you are using industries of the ProtoLars sort where you leave a car and return 'later' and it is loaded/unloaded then it's not so simple. Industries of this sort require one of the cars in the cut to be spotted pretty much exactly over the center of the industry track. This is fine for manual placement - in fact the requirement for exact positioning adds to the experience - but getting the AI to 'spot' cars with that sort of accuracy is nigh on impossible...

Andy